I really do hope that this is the final act in what has been a very sorry affair. Mr Martin has been a disgrace to his honourable office since he started his campaign to keep MPs expenses a secret. If one adds to that the compliance of his office in the searching of an MPs offices by the police who did not even have a warrant, especially when the police investigation was wholly politically motivated and initiated by a member of his own party.

I only hope he equally has the honesty to stand down now as an MP, to remain in the house after this would be the ultimate insult.

That this House has no confidence in Mr Speaker and calls for him to step down; notes that Mr Speaker has failed to provide leadership in matters relating to hon. Membersâ€™ expenses; believes that a new Speaker urgently needs to be elected by secret ballot, free from manipulation by party Whips, under Standing Order No. 1B; and believes that a new Speaker should proceed to reform the House in such a way as to make it an effective legislature once again.

As an Amendment to Mr Douglas Carswellâ€™s proposed Motion (No Confidence in the Speaker):
Peter Bottomley

Line 1, leave out from â€˜Houseâ€™ to end and add â€˜believes the Speaker is best placed to decide when to retire from office.â€™.

Peter Bottomley, the Conservative MP for Worthing West, West Sussex, and Lady Bottomley, the former health secretary, make relatively modest expenses. Mr Bottomley claims Â£126,603, making him the 561st most expensive MP, while his wife claims another Â£20,000 from the Lords, making their total claim just over Â£146,000. But Mr Bottomley claims the maximum possible from the Commons to cover his second home in Westminster, Â£23,083. Lady Bottomley claimed another Â£7,500 for overnight stays for the 75 days she attended the Lords in 2007-08".

The leaking of details of MPs' allowances and expenses to the Daily Telegraph will not be investigated by police.
Senior officers and prosecutors have concluded that a criminal investigation into the matter would not be in the public interest.

The Met Police were called in by the Commons authorities after the newspaper published extensive details of MPs' claims between 2004 and 2008.

The leaking of details of MPs' allowances and expenses to the Daily Telegraph will not be investigated by police.
Senior officers and prosecutors have concluded that a criminal investigation into the matter would not be in the public interest.

The Met Police were called in by the Commons authorities after the newspaper published extensive details of MPs' claims between 2004 and 2008.

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And I can guess who the ringleader of that 'Commons authority' was.

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Correct, the man himself who has just announced his intention to quit.

Let us hope that the passing of Speaker Martin doesn't mean that the rest of the iniquitous bunch think that that is the end of the scandal. All the members guilty of breaking the spirit of the expenses, never mind fraudulant claims, rules must also go.